Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1887-03-09
From the Bait. Sun of the 18th ms 1
The Close Of the Forty ninth Congress.

The Forty-ninth Congress to day con-
cludes its labors and its existence, having
done more than any of it's immediate pred
ecessoIs to entitle it to the grateful remem-
brance of the country. It has passed some
| unnecessary laws but it has also passed a
number of measures of the very first import
ance, The presidential succession act. tho
electoral count act aud the interstate com.
| merce act are measures that very nearly
concern the welfare OF every citizen of the
United States. Oihrr acts that have re-
eeiyed wide communication are the follow
| ing: The oleomargariue act, the trades
! unions act, the labor arbitration act. the
! land grants forfeiture act, the act to increase
the naval establishment, the act to exclude
| convict and alien labor from public works.
the act repeating the tenure f-office act, the
act creating Department of Agriculture,
| the Indian lands in severalty act, the Ding
ley shipping act, the anti polygamy act. the
| trade dollar redemption act, the act reou1r-
| ing the appointment of three commissioners
to Investigate the Pacific railroads, the act
snbJecting lands granted to railroads to
taxation By the States within which they
| lie, the Widows pension act and the Mexi-
can pension act. The list might be length
ened by enumeratng acts of minor impor-
|
cate the industry of the Forty ninth Com
gress and its perception of the Legislative
needs of the country at the present time
There are wanting in it, however, several
measures which occupy q very prominent
place in the public mind, and which ought
to have been passed. The tariff reform
promised by the platforms Of both of the
great parties was prevented by an unpa-
| triotic combination of Republicans. animal
ed with motives of party policy, with a
small number of democrats, blinded by their
supposed local interests. The refusal to
reduce taxes and cut down the surplus
revenue gathered uselessly into the national
treasury had its anticipated result in the
prodigal appropriation bills devised BIZ the
| Senate, and the reckless dependent pension
bill passed by both House and Senate, and
| kept from the statute-book only by the
Presidents judicious use of the veto power.
The Forty ninth Congress may be said to
have distinguished itself in the matter of
private pension bills, having passed more
Of these doubtful measures than all its pred
ecessors put together. The Senate, which
excelled in this kind of legislation, at one
of its recent sessions passed 81 private PEN
sion bills in "a minutes. The fisheries re-
tallation bill deserves also perhaps to be
",
aud along with it may be placed the act
making close season for mackerel fishing.
Subject to criticism likewise is the provision
in the river and barber bill of $50, 600 to
begin the construction of the Henuepin
canal project The proposal of the Senate
to give subsidy of $500, 900 to certain lines
of steamships engaged in carrying foreign
mails was vigorously resisted by the House,
as was also the vast and i'll arranged scheme
of expenditure elaborated by the Senate for
the purchase of ordinance material and the
construction of ships and forts. The coun-
try needs guns, ships and forts, but it wish
es to be sure of its method of obtaining
them before it puts several hundred mil
lions into the enterprise. Of the Forty
ninth Congress it may be fairly said that it
was che first in many years past to awake
to the necessity Of providing adequately for
the national defense. Above all it was
honest, as Congresses go. A. lobby has
existed at Washington in the last two years,
and lobbyists will for long time to come
be considerable element of tine population
Of the national capital, but it is to the credit
of the Congress that expires to-day that
lobbyists made very little money ont of its
errors,